Preparing for Winter

mrs_lds

http://www.shelfreliance.com/product/view/p405

just some ideas for self reliancy that could be kept in a car for emergencysand peace of mind.

HariboJunkie

mrs_lds wrote: »

http://www.shelfreliance.com/product/view/p405

just some ideas for self reliancy that could be kept in a car for emergencysand peace of mind.

Why would anyone need something like that in this country?

I can't help thinking people are getting a bit panicky over nothing. Yes, there are plenty of ways we can save fuel and cut our energy costs, stock up a bit on food and buy some candles in case of power cuts but I don't think Armageddon's round the corner just yet.

gairlochgal

HariboJunkie wrote: »

Why would anyone need something like that in this country?

lol have you never seen the wizard of oz. A cyclone could blow your house away any moment and you'll want your emergency supply for feeding Toto.

sammyjig

HariboJunkie wrote: »

Why would anyone need something like that in this country?

I can't help thinking people are getting a bit panicky over nothing. Yes, there are plenty of ways we can save fuel and cut our energy costs, stock up a bit on food and buy some candles in case of power cuts but I don't think Armageddon's round the corner just yet.

I'm not sure we would need to go to extremes but I will say that this winter I will be putting an emergency kit in DH's car (drinks, food, blanket, extra jumper, wooly hat and gloves etc). He has to travel a fair way to work and a couple of years ago if he had left for work 1/2 hour later he would have been one of those por soles stuck on the M11 in the snow all night.

Beki

Well i think it's a fantastic idea being prepared. If nothing happens then fandabidozi and all that

But if it does... well, thank goodness we've thought ahead!

Here's my 'preparing for winter' list i need to get done! (can anyone think of anything i should be adding?)

List of thing to get done for winter
· Line the lounge curtains
· Learn to sew on my freecycle-donated sewing machine
· Make door draught-excluder snakes – 2 long, 2 short
· Re-putty, sand and re-paint lounge windows
· Make a quilt
· Chop logs into manageable pieces
· Get a supply of firelighters and kindling
· Source free firewood (ie; chop down & prune the tree branches in garden)
· Get chimney/flue swept
· Buy slippers for me, al and dd (ds has some)
· Collect all the fallen leaves and put in black bin bags for veg garden
· Clean out the gutters

Make an emergency box consisting of –
· Tealights
· Matches
· Torch
· Batteries
· Jam jars (for holding candles)

carfail

sorry if this isnt the right place to ask. i thought i had better start for once to get ready for winter after reading some tips etc. phoned up to get coal and have just hit the price increase! one day too late. i have to burn smokeless fuel too heat up heaters and water, it cost me well over 100 pounds a month last year and the price has went up a lot! is there anything i can do to make it last longer. i burn logs and ordinary coal in my open fire in the living room as the heaters dont heat up enough at this side of the house, it is only a three bed cottage by the way. any help appreciated. thanks.

rosieben

Beki wrote: »

... Here's my 'preparing for winter' list i need to get done! (can anyone think of anything i should be adding?)
...

I like to check my first aid and meds boxes and stock up with cough and cold meds etc. for the winter.

(I try to check my meds stocks about every 3 months anyway to replace anything past date)

sammyjig

Beki wrote: »

· Learn to sew on my freecycle-donated sewing machine

I'm also going to teach myself to sew.
MIL has been given a sewing machine and she doesn't want it so she is bringing it to me tonight. I'm really excited.

vivaladiva

Sammy_Kaye18

offot dreams with mother in law to see if they have cheap bunkbeds - ben is still in a cot bed at 4 years old underneath a top bunk so is horirbly mismatched - ben needs to be in a full size bed so new beds it is and freecycle never seems to have any

I tried to freecycle ours as part of my pre winter clearout, and no-one wanted them:rolleyes:. Typical isn't it?
I have so much to do before this winter, do you think we could have a Turbo Flylady Pre-Winter thread?

Obukit

carfail wrote: »

sorry if this isnt the right place to ask. i thought i had better start for once to get ready for winter after reading some tips etc. phoned up to get coal and have just hit the price increase! one day too late. i have to burn smokeless fuel too heat up heaters and water, it cost me well over 100 pounds a month last year and the price has went up a lot! is there anything i can do to make it last longer. i burn logs and ordinary coal in my open fire in the living room as the heaters dont heat up enough at this side of the house, it is only a three bed cottage by the way. any help appreciated. thanks.

You can put bricks at the back of your fireplace to push the fire towards the front of the grate so you feel more of the heat. If you can source some of the heat-storing bricks used in storage heaters from a scrapyard or similar these are even better as they will still be warm in the morning, meaning you can delay lighting a fire until the evening if you will be at work all day.

Other than that, you can put ash over the top of the coal for a slower burn, although this will obviously also effect the amount of heat you get. You can also try mixing, or replacing totally on milder nights, some of the coal with wood, either from nearby woods (if you speak to a landowner or tree surgeon you'll often find they have plenty spare and will gladly give you a bootful if you can go collect), or else scavenge wood from skips etc. However, beware as creosoted or varnished wood can spit in your fire so you'd need a fireguard or an old rug in front of your fire first!